Northern Virginia HOT Lanes

[sprjus4]

Effectively, Transurban is charging $5 - $8 at peak hours to traverse 2,000 feet of pavement to then cross DC's bridge.

The real point is simply to charge drivers crossing DC's bridge.

[Beltway]

NB Express traffic can exit at Eads Street near the Pentagon if they don't want to cross the 14th Street Bridge.

[cpzilliacus]

So the 14th Street Bridge southbound express roadway has no toll, but is HOV-3. 

The 14th Street Bridges didn't have HOV restrictions, they were open to all traffic, even during peak hours. The southbound bridge remains such, but the Transurban put up toll gantries to charge people northbound for crossing DC's bridge, which isn't even apart of the HO/T system and isn't owned by Virginia.

Prior to about 1989 or 1988 (within my professional lifetime),  the express lanes spans of the 14th Street Bridge were subject to the same HOV requirements as the restricted lanes in Virginia, during the same hours.  Especially in the peak P.M. period, MPD-DC (the D.C. municipal police) would conduct HOV enforcement operations on the southbound express lane span, sometimes creating enough of a spectacle that these activities would draw a lot of attention from southbound drivers in the conventional lanes. 

[1995hoo]

^^^^

The broken record thinks that's irrelevant because it's not "recent"  enough.

[vdeane]

One thing I really don't like about the way the bridge is handled is that it creates an inconsistency where the bridge is restricted northbound but not southbound.  One way or the other, please.

[cpzilliacus]

One thing I really don't like about the way the bridge is handled is that it creates an inconsistency where the bridge is restricted northbound but not southbound.  One way or the other, please.

It has to do with the configuration of the ramps between the managed lane and the conventional lanes. 

Northbound, Ramp G is near the Pentagon, and some distance from the Virginia end of the 14th Street Bridge, a distance of about 0.8 of a mile (map).

Southbound, the "Temp" ramp leaves the managed roadway not far from the Virginia shoreline, a distances of about 0.3 of a mile (map).

The "Temp" ramp is called that because it was built at the request of the predecessor agency to DDOT by VDOT to allow all traffic to use the express lane bridges while there a repair project taking place on the conventional lane spans in the late 1980's. At one point when the work was completed, I think there was  a plan to remove the "Temp" ramp and return the HOV restrictions to the express lane span over the Potomac but that never happened.

[sprjus4]

One thing I really don't like about the way the bridge is handled is that it creates an inconsistency where the bridge is restricted northbound but not southbound.  One way or the other, please.

It has to do with the configuration of the ramps between the managed lane and the conventional lanes. 

Northbound, Ramp G is near the Pentagon, and some distance from the Virginia end of the 14th Street Bridge, a distance of about 0.8 of a mile (map).

Southbound, the "Temp" ramp leaves the managed roadway not far from the Virginia shoreline, a distances of about 0.3 of a mile (map).

Is there a point in that 2,640 ft difference that necessitates the tolls?

[cpzilliacus]

Is there a point in that 2,640 ft difference that necessitates the tolls?

Ask Transurban.  Or ask VDOT. 

[Beltway]

One thing I really don't like about the way the bridge is handled is that it creates an inconsistency where the bridge is restricted northbound but not southbound.  One way or the other, please.

DDOT wanted to control the volume of traffic entering the District, as I said in a previous post.  All the northbound capacity on DC I-395 and 14th Street is already spoken for in peak hours.

DDOT is willing to allow more traffic with the Virginia express lanes being converted from HOV-3 to HOT-3, counterbalanced by the closure of Ramp G (which still exists for possible future use) to limit traffic exiting from GP to the express lanes.

Southbound DDOT doesn't really need to care if VDOT adds more capacity or how they manage southbound access.

[1995hoo]

Ramp G has not been closed. People can still use it–but they're subject to the HO/T rules from there to the District. VDOT didn't allow that out of a desire "to toll DC's bridge,"  as someone else here said. They allowed it to keep the express lanes moving so it wouldn't turn into what you used to see southbound at Route 610 when the HO/T lanes on I-95 first started operating.


(Edited on Saturday morning to fix autocorrect's typo that rendered a sentence unintelligible)

[AlexandriaVA]

This debate will be moot when DC (pending approval from Congress) creates a HOT lane facility on the SE/SW freeway...

[Beltway]

Ramp G has not been closed. People can still use it–but they're subject to the HO/T rules from there to the District. VDOT didn't allow that out of a desire "to toll DC's bridge,"  as do whine else here said. They allowed it to keep the express lanes moving so it wouldn't turn into what you used to see southbound at Route 610 when the HO/T lanes on I-95 first started operating.

I need to go there and drive it when the express lanes are northbound, to look at things by eyeball.

This May 2019 article says it is a -southbound- ramp that was closed --
https://wtop.com/dc-transit/2019/05/redundant-ramp-to-close-on-i-395/

[1995hoo]

For those who are unfamiliar with why I refer to it as Ramp G, here are two old Washington Post columns from the period when it was first opened to traffic on a regular basis, which was also the period when HOV restrictions were removed from the approach to the bridge:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1988/12/09/gifts/6b88cbf7-dbee-4e57-9442-f467171a7e87/?p9w22b2p=b2p22p9w00098&tid=a_classic-iphone

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1991/08/01/hov-lanes-revisited/a7fbb33a-d9d4-4f41-adc7-5aae6d12752a/

It's the ramp you can see in the foreground of the right-hand image in this tweet–it looks like a grey Prius and four other cars using the ramp:

https://twitter.com/hhowardwtop/status/1196420362503884807?s=21

[1995hoo]

Hmmm. The reply tweet sounds......very familiar. (Edited to add: Even more so when you look at his other tweets.) 

https://twitter.com/joedavid30/status/1199078718372818944?s=21

[Beltway]

" On Thanksgiving the 95/395 Express Lanes will be NB all day. "

Good!  I'll be able to check out the I-395 HOT lanes northbound.

Rode it southbound Tuesday evening.

[1995hoo]

" On Thanksgiving the 95/395 Express Lanes will be NB all day. "

Good!  I'll be able to check out the I-395 HOT lanes northbound.

Rode it southbound Tuesday evening.

I plan to use them for the Wednesday morning commute. I normally take the Metro, but we're going to the Caps game and getting home at 10 PM is a lot faster by car. Not sure whether I'll use them on the way home. May depend on the traffic report–I wouldn't be surprised if the Beltway is backed up such that it makes more sense to pay the toll (at least from Turkeycock, anyway) in order to use the Franconia—Springfield Parkway exit. I'm interested in getting a firsthand look at the lane striping near the new left-side exit for the Pentagon. I've always felt the striping there wasn't done very well for southbound traffic.

[Beltway]

" On Thanksgiving the 95/395 Express Lanes will be NB all day. "
Good!  I'll be able to check out the I-395 HOT lanes northbound.
Rode it southbound Tuesday evening.

I plan to use them for the Wednesday morning commute. I normally take the Metro, but we're going to the Caps game and getting home at 10 PM is a lot faster by car. Not sure whether I'll use them on the way home. May depend on the traffic report–I wouldn't be surprised if the Beltway is backed up such that it makes more sense to pay the toll (at least from Turkeycock, anyway) in order to use the Franconia—Springfield Parkway exit. I'm interested in getting a firsthand look at the lane striping near the new left-side exit for the Pentagon. I've always felt the striping there wasn't done very well for southbound traffic.

Yeah, nothing beats actually traveling the new highway (well, widened, and new tolling scheme and management scheme) and viewing it with the Mark 1 Eyeball!

I will likely follow I-395 and I-695 to DC-295 to US-50.

[AlexandriaVA]

Remember it will be a ghost town by then due to Thanksgiving. Traffic will peak around early/mid-afternoon that day. By Wednesday night, nobody (except us few locals!)

[1995hoo]

I used the I-395 HO/T lanes for the first time during today's morning rush hour. Rainy morning. There was a backup in the local lanes on I-95 in Springfield extending over the flyover to the Inner Loop towards Tysons; WTOP said something about a disabled vehicle. The I-95 HO/T lanes from the Franconia—Springfield Parkway to the Beltway were as heavy as I've ever seen them, perhaps due to the local slowdown (a lot of traffic exited there, and a lot exited at Turkeycock). I left my driveway at 6:36 and was at the 14th Street Bridge by 6:55 and parked in the garage at 11th & H by 7:01, doing 70 mph most of the way in until the approach to the Pentagon. There were very few left lane hogs, but that doesn't totally surprise me because the left northbound lane is the one closest to the jersey wall that was constructed on what used to be the shoulder. If it's like the I-95 HO/T lanes, that lane is less smooth than the other ones. I only briefly used it to pass someone whose speed was erratic.

The road itself was in the best shape it's been in years and they even have nice reflectors for the lane markings, which is something I've long wished were more common in Virginia. From home to I-95 it was very hard to see the lane markings due to the lack of reflectors.

Toll for the I-395 lanes when I hit Turkeycock at around 6:47-ish (just after the WTOP sports report ended) was $8.10 from Turkeycock to DC; the toll for the final segment if you entered via Ramp G near Pentagon City was $1.80. Rate signs list three destinations/amounts: "WA BLVD," "PENTAGON," and "WASH DC." I don't remember what the first two rates were other than that I noticed that from Shirlington to DC was $5.75 when I passed there.

Striping near the Pentagon seemed much improved. Southbound there used to be a warning sign saying "MAINTAIN TWO LANES," but the striping ended and people just drove whichever way they wanted to make their own lanes. The striping is now configured so the far left lane when the lanes are inbound has a solid line–it becomes exit-only to the Pentagon–and then the other lane that would be a southbound lane coming from the bridge has a short skip line at the spot where the reversible roadway begins/ends. I believe I noted that the other two lanes that head to the bridge and to the old "Pentagon" exit (it's now marked "Pentagon City") have a solid line until you pass the exit.

New signs:

–There used to be white signs near Edsall warning that the HO/T lanes ended and the HOV lanes began. Those are obviously gone. Instead, they have a Big White Sign warning that the HO/T lane exit for Seminary Road has an HOV-3 restriction 24/7 and another sign next to it saying non-HOVs should use the flyover at Turkeycock back to the local lanes to access Seminary. (There is a plan to remove the HOV restriction at Seminary.) This is all a big improvement because previously the only sign warning of the 24/7 HOV restriction was a tiny white sign you didn't see until you'd already started to exit, and even then it had minuscule print and was hard to read.

–Lots of new signage approaching the Pentagon, obviously. The BGS over the left lane for the Pentagon exit has flashing yellow lights to help draw attention to it, probably to emphasize that it's exit-only and you can't go to the bridge.

–There seemed to be fewer signs advising of the left exit for Route 27 to Memorial Bridge, but it could just be that I was more interested in seeing the new signs and didn't notice the ones for the exit that was already there. The old BGS that used a control "city" of "14th Street Br" is gone. The green surface on that sign had been peeling for several years and it needed replacement anyway.

–The VMSs starting at King Street were warning of "NEW TRAFFIC PATTERN AHEAD" and alternating that with "REDUCE SPEED." Interestingly, as you approach the southbound flyover ramp to Ridge Road, there are two Little White Signs that say "REDUCE SPEED AHEAD" ("Reduce," not "Reduced"), rather than the newer signs that tell you what the speed limit will be. I guess they did it that way because the HO/T lanes have a variable speed limit (it was set at 65 mph this morning).

I didn't take any pictures. Too dark, plus the rain, plus the most interesting parts are near the Pentagon and I wanted both hands on the wheel there. My dashcam is broken, so I won't have video captures.


Edited to add: Now I'm really glad I drove–the Pentagon Metro station just flooded, apparently due to a water main break! Trains are still running....for the moment. Something about flooding in a place where the third rail carries 750 volts AC is not encouraging!

[Beltway]

Toll for the I-395 lanes when I hit Turkeycock at around 6:47-ish (just after the WTOP sports report ended) was $8.10 from Turkeycock to DC; the toll for the final segment if you entered via Ramp G near Pentagon City was $1.80. Rate signs list three destinations/amounts: "WA BLVD," "PENTAGON," and "WASH DC." I don't remember what the first two rates were other than that I noticed that from Shirlington to DC was $5.75 when I passed there.

My Tuesday transactions have posted to my EZPass account, it takes about 4 days for them to review and verify the transactions, apparently, for the HOT lanes on I-95 and I-495.  They summarize an I-395 and I-95 trip into one entry.

Entry
11/19/2019 9:51:02 AM   95 395 EXPRESS LANES   -9.25    (I-95 Garrisonville to I-495)
11/19/2019 7:57:03 PM   95 395 EXPRESS LANES   -13.75  (I-395 & I-95 Eads St. to Garrisonville)

These were beyond the peak hour period, but while not congested the GP lanes had heavy enough traffic that I was fine with paying the toll for express lanes.  As I said before the express lanes were still in the 20% to 30% of capacity usage range.

[sprjus4]

The road itself was in the best shape it's been in years and they even have nice reflectors for the lane markings, which is something I've long wished were more common in Virginia. From home to I-95 it was very hard to see the lane markings due to the lack of reflectors.

I can agree. Even here in Hampton Roads, when it rains, it's a free for all on the interstate, even better when you got 4-5 lanes moving in one direction. Barely any visible reflectors, and with a lot of the highways having concrete, it makes visibility worse.

The City of Chesapeake recently repaved a stretch of VA-168, and put nice bright reflectors on the lanes and shoulders. Very easy to see during rain and when dark. The "toll road" (only part of it is actually tolled) section from Hanbury Rd southward was repaved in two phases in 2012 and 2016, and it also has visible reflectors. The remaining parts that haven't been repaved in over a decade have poor visibility. The US-17 upgrade also has visible reflectors on its stretch between I-64 and US-17 relocated.

Wish VDOT could do this more, Hampton Roads, and statewide it seems, and wish the city would repave the remainder of the expressway. It doesn't even have to be a repave, just some simple reflectors.

[1995hoo]

We used the I-395 HO/T lanes on the way home last night. My wife's car was at the Springfield Metro, so it made sense to use them south of Turkeycock anyway for access to the Franconia—Springfield Parkway.

–We used 14th Street because the Ninth Street Tunnel is usually a mess after games. There's a new BGS for the left-side ramp to the "HOV bridge."  It has the purple E-ZPass Express banner and says "TO [I-395 shield] SOUTH/EXPRESS LANES"  with an exit-only panel beneath. A portable VMS warned that all users need E-ZPass.

–On the bridge, the sign for the slip ramp prior to US-1 had a "Last Exit Before Toll"  panel. That's actually wrong because you can use the next exit without a toll–it's the one whose BGS used to say simply "Pentagon"  and now says "EXPRESS EXIT/Eads Street/Pentagon."  There are two black-on-white signs with all-caps text that says there is no toll for anyone using that exit (I don't recall the precise wording).

–Toll rate signs on the bridge and prior to Eads Street list "SHIRLING"  (Shirlington), "SEMINA"  (Seminary Road), and "I-395-95"  (Turkeycock)–the three exits from the I-395 lanes. Last night at around 10 PM the toll was the same to all three, $1.50.

–Much better lane-striping where the two carriageways merge just after the onramp from the Pentagon. Huge improvement. It's now very clear where the lanes go.

–A car was coming from the newly-reversible ramp that used to be the northbound exit to the Pentagon. It was disorienting and mildly disconcerting to see headlights coming from there–after all, for over 40 years you would not see anyone coming that way because that side was northbound-only. This sort of thing will just be a case of getting used to the new traffic pattern.

–The southbound right lane is quite close to the jersey wall and is not quite as smooth as the other two lanes. Not many people were in that lane and I too opted for the middle lane. I did notice how there are lots of reflectors on the wall.

–There's a sign on the south side ramp at Seminary that says tolling begins after the next exit. That's no longer correct–there's a toll gantry as you pass Landmark Mall. I guess they forgot to remove the sign. I'll tweet them about it.

[sprjus4]

–The southbound right lane is quite close to the jersey wall and is not quite as smooth as the other two lanes. Not many people were in that lane and I too opted for the middle lane. I did notice how there are lots of reflectors on the wall.

That's likely a case of restriping a two-lane carriageway with 12 foot lanes and 10 foot shoulders on either side to likely a 1 or 2 foot right shoulder SB, three 11 foot lanes and a 10 foot right shoulder, and not strengthening the former left shoulder to be a lane.

Does I-95 have a similar situation, or was that fixed when they restriped that?

[Beltway]

–The southbound right lane is quite close to the jersey wall and is not quite as smooth as the other two lanes. Not many people were in that lane and I too opted for the middle lane. I did notice how there are lots of reflectors on the wall.

That's likely a case of restriping a two-lane carriageway with 12 foot lanes and 10 foot shoulders on either side to likely a 1 or 2 foot right shoulder SB, three 11 foot lanes and a 10 foot right shoulder, and not strengthening the former left shoulder to be a lane.

Not sure if that means that a couple feet of shoulder was unstrengthened and is now part of a traffic lane?

"Strengthening a shoulder" would be performed by removing the shoulder pavement and subbase and excavating to the depth needed to place full depth subbase and pavement to the same design as a traffic lane.  Shoulder pavement design is much thinner and cannot be used as a traffic lane.

If they only needed 1 to 3 feet of widening of the pavement, they would have performed what VDOT has called "trench widening," basically using the same remove and replace process as in my second paragraph but a narrow strip in terms of width.

I rode the northbound I-395 HOT lanes this morning and will have a full report later.

[sprjus4]

Not sure if that means that a couple feet of shoulder was unstrengthened and is now part of a traffic lane?

"Strengthening a shoulder" would be performed by removing the shoulder pavement and subbase and excavating to the depth needed to place full depth subbase and pavement to the same design as a traffic lane.

If they only needed 1 to 3 feet of widening, of the pavement they would have performed what VDOT has called "trench widening," basically using the same remove and replace process as in my second paragraph but a narrow strip.  Shoulder design is much thinner and cannot be used as a traffic lane.

I rode the northbound I-395 HOT lanes this morning and will have a full report later.

Basically, from what 1995hoo described, the right lane heading southbound (the added 3rd lane) is located where the full 10 right shoulder previously was when it was only two lanes with full shoulders on both sides. When they restriped the lanes by narrowing the lanes to 11 foot and eliminating the full shoulder (to the right when heading southbound) in order to squeeze the 3 lanes and a full shoulder on one side into the ~45 ft of roadway, if that new lane is not as smooth as the others, my guess is that the previous shoulder was not full depth since it was not a travel lane, and when they striped it as a travel lane, it was never made full depth. Now that traffic is using it as a full-time lane, it's probably wearing down quicker since it's not as strengthened as the other lanes.

The on-going and previous widening projects on I-64 in Hampton Roads and the Peninsula involved strengthening the shoulders to handle traffic moving on them before they shifted the lanes. It seems the previous shoulder, now a travel lane on I-395 was not strengthened. It's about 10-11 feet that would need to be strengthened on the HO/T lanes.